Truth
by DreamsofPurpleRoses
Summary: Your typical torture fic. Rated T for, duh, torture. Voldemort captures Harry. Will Harry be able to survive the pain or crack under the pressure? Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is completely irrelevant to any other stories I had up. This is just an idea I came up with that I decided to write. This may or may not be a One-shot. There's a 60% chance that it will be. Read and review. **

Harry Potter pulled hopelessly at the bonds holding him to the stone table. They didn't give. He hadn't expected them to. For the last two hours it was all he had done. For his efforts the only thing he had achieved was rubbing his wrists raw. But he didn't give up. There had to be a way to get free from…wherever he was.

When he had first awoken he had panicked, until he realized his energy would be better spent getting the hell out of there. He tried to remember how he had gotten here. He had been in the garden, doing back breaking chores for his aunt and uncle when… when what? Everything else was a blur.

He had come to in this room. It was small, with grey walls. The only furniture was the stone table to which he was tied. No windows, no door. No means of escape. The only light came from a small glowing ball the floated near the ceiling.

After another brief struggle, Harry fell back, exhausted. Was someone going to come? Nobody had so far. Harry had to admit he was getting bored. There was nothing to do. This feeling blocked out his fear for a minute. He didn't want to think about who could have possibly brought him here. That would only scare him more.

Harry lay there thinking for a while, till he eventually came up with an idea to try something else. He focused on his left hand, and attempted to wriggle his hand free of the ropes. It was slow going. Blood seeped out from his chaffed wrists and made it easier to slide the hand out. With one of his hands free, he began to work on the right one.

But he didn't get far. He had just reached over to untie the knot that prevented his freedom, when the glowing outline of a door appeared on the wall on his right. Harry froze as the wall seemed to open, and the person who had been haunting his nightmares all summer stepped into the room.

"Voldemort…" he whispered, fear taking hold of him again.

The Dark Lord smiled and shut the temporary door with a finality that said Harry wouldn't live to see it open again. His only means of escape again blended into the wall like it was never been there at all.

"Harry…we weren't trying to escape, were we?" The snake-like man hissed, his scarlet eyes taking in Harry's cut and bleeding wrist, no longer bound to the table where it belonged.

The-boy-who-lived glared at him. "You can't keep me here, Voldemort."

Voldemort walked closer, and Harry made another attempt to pull free of his remaining bonds. Voldemort laughed. "But that's the best part, Harry." His shadow fell over the struggling boy, and Harry's eyes darkened in fear. "I _can."_ A cold, pale hand shot out and closed around his free wrist, eliciting a gasp of pain from Harry. Voldemort slammed the hand back on the stone table, and there was a loud crack. A small scream escaped Harry, and he mentally slapped himself for showing weakness into front of his enemy. Ropes twisted themselves around the wrist which had only moments before been free, again holding him in place. His wrist was broken.

"What do you want?" he asked, eyeing Voldemort cautiously. Red eyes stared back at him, like flames. Voldemort reached out a spidery finger and began tracing Harry's scar. Harry's head exploded in pain. He bit his lip, eyes watering. He wouldn't let Voldemort know how much pain he was in.

"I want to hear you scream." Voldemort whispered in his ear. Harry tried to turn his head away, but Voldemort forced it back. The pain in his head reached an almost unbearable pitch, and a single tear fell down Harry's face. His throat shook from holding back the screams that desperately wanted to be released. "Come now, Harry. If you scream the pain will end sooner." The offer was so tempting. He wanted the agony to end. He wouldn't break, though. He met Voldemort's eyes and shook his head defiantly. The Dark Lord sighed and finally relented. Harry sucked in sweet breaths of air.

Harry found his voice, which came out in a rasp because of the bottled up screams. "You'll have to do better than that, Tom." Anger light up in Voldemort's eyes at being called the name that he so hated. But instead of pulling out his wand and torturing Harry, he smiled.

"There's that stubborn Gryffindor sprit. I'll have fun breaking it." Voldemort's hand went into the pocket of his dark robes and Harry was sure he was going to take out his wand. There was a flash of sliver, and suddenly Harry's whole arm lit up in pain. Taken by surprise, Harry couldn't stop the scream that was ripped from his throat. He looked sideways and saw a wicked looking dagger deep in his arm, with Voldemort's pale fingers wrapped around the handle. The blade was removed, coated in blood.

Harry hadn't expected Voldemort to use muggle tactics. He would have thought the Dark Lord thought himself above that. Voldemort seemed to read his mind. "Muggle methods are just so much more personal, don't you agree?" A smirk crossed his face. Voldemort waved his hand and Harry's shirt vanished. Harry, unable to move, could only watch as Voldemort dragged the dagger lightly down his chest, leaving a thin line of blood in its wake. Harry shivered. "Now, Harry. Why don't you tell me that interesting little Prophecy, hmmm? Unless you want to force my hand…" The knife hovered over his thigh.

Harry took a deep breath and strengthened his resolve. He would not break. "Never," he spat.

Voldemort's smile grew. "I was hoping you'd say that." And the knife cut deep into his leg, stopping only when it reached bone. Holding in the agony was impossible, and the screams came forward. Voldemort soaked up the pain and the suffering with that same cold, merciless grin. The blade was removed again. Harry lay, breathing hard, as Voldemort repositioned the knife over his stomach. Each breath put his skin closer to the blade, and Harry gulped, scared out of his mind. Not that he would ever let Voldemort know that.

"You don't want me to do that again, do you, Harry?" Harry refused to answer. Voldemort tisked. "Harry, Harry, Harry…" The cold metal rested on the top of his skin, the tip drawing a small pool of blood. "If you continue to ignore me, it will only be worse for you." Again Harry said nothing. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the blade penetrate his skin. Maybe that would make the pain less.

Voldemort chuckled. "No, Harry, I want you to see me torture you." His eyes were forced open and his head was turned till he could see the dagger just above his venerable stomach. Two fingers held his eyelids open; while Voldemort's other hand raised the dagger high. Harry's eyes shook in fear as the knife cut through the air and burrowed deep into his stomach.

A loud, bloodcurdling scream emitted from Harry, and tears ran down his face. Voldemort forced the blade in deeper. The screams caught in Harry's throat, the pain too much. A small stream of blood ran from his mouth down to the table. Breathing was difficult. The Dark Lord was without mercy, and twisted the knife. Blood clogged his throat. Harry panicked as he realized no air was coming. His bound arms flailed uselessly. He wanted to arch his back to escape the pain, but that would only force the blade in deeper. Finally, as horrible sobs rocked Harry's body, Voldemort relented and pulled the knife out. It glinted a sickly red in the light from the orb.

The fingers were removed from his eyes, and Voldemort bent his head to whisper in Harry's ear. "Are you ready to tell me?" Harry turned his head slowly, and coughed, causing blood to splatter all over Voldemort's face. The Dark Lord froze for a second, too shocked to say anything. Harry saw the anger return to Voldemort's eyes and mentally braced himself for what would happen next. Whatever that was.

Before Harry could even blink, Voldemort's hands closed around his throat, long nails cutting into his neck. His head was pulled up as far as the bonds would allow, till he was face to face with Voldemort. He couldn't breathe. The pain in his scar was at an unbearable pitch. "Do you think this is a joke? I have you at my complete mercy, Harry Potter. This torture can go on for hours, days even, unless you give me what I want." The nails dug deeper, as if to further his point. Harry gasped in pain. "Now tell me the Prophecy." Red eyes bore into his, seeming to stare at his very soul.

"Why don't you just read my mind?" He rasped his voice barely audible.

Voldemort's grip tightened, as if this question made him any angrier. "I seems as though I can't. No doubt Dumbledore's doing." He smiled down at Harry. "No matter. I will make you tell me."

Harry mustered up what courage he had left. "You will never break me."

At these words, Voldemort pulled back and continued with his onslaught of stabbing. He stabbed Harry's arms, legs, stomach, shoulders and chest. There were long cuts, small cuts, deep cuts, and shallow cuts. But they all hurt. And they all bled. Eventually, Harry lost his voice. When this happened, Voldemort took out his wand a muttered something, till Harry was able to scream again.

Harry thought Voldemort was done when the whole front of his body was covered in cuts. But he was wrong. The bonds fell away, and for a brief second Harry considered lashing out and escaping. That was until Voldemort grabbed his broken wrist and twisted it painfully. Tears sprung to his eyes. "Don't even think about it."

He was forced onto his stomach, and the ropes again were tied. He had been free for no more than ten seconds. Harry's muscles tensed. He could no longer see what was going on, for his face was pressed against the table. Was Voldemort going to stab him again?

He felt Voldemort's cold hands on his bare back. "What are you doing?" Harry demanded. Voldemort said nothing. A chill ran down Harry's spine. What was about to happen?

Suddenly there was pain. A burning, agonizing pain. Voldemort was muttering under his breath as the pain got worse. Harry spazmed, biting his lip so hard it bled to prevent from screaming. Voldemort's hands moved to his shoulders, and the pain followed. The hands pressed down, and burned him so badly that not screaming was no longer an option. And when Harry screamed, it only inspired Voldemort to cause more pain. The fire continued to burn him, as the hands moved to his arms and the back of his legs.

The hands disappeared, and Harry was left shaking on the stone table. He refused to cry, however. Crying showed weakness, and Harry would not be weak. Voldemort's voice was back, speaking down to Harry from a terrible height.

"Have you changed your mind?"

"No," Harry said defiantly. He swore he heard Voldemort growl. "Then you haven't felt enough pain yet." The Dark Lord hissed. The ropes disappeared, as did the table. Harry fell painfully on the ground, gritting his teeth against the pain that came from hitting his injuries. He was kicked in the side, and forced to roll until he was facing the ceiling. Voldemort came into his line of sight. His eyes were gleaming with malice. "Let's try wizard methods this time, shall we?"

Harry knew what was coming. But there was no way he could have prepared himself. "Crucio!"

All Harry knew was pain. The stabbing seemed like nothing compared to what he know felt. Screaming was his only release. He convulsed, tears streaming down his face. His hands bled as he clawed at the floor. His back arched, but it did nothing to help with the agony. "Do you feel like speaking now, Potter?" Voldemort said louder than the screams. Harry still twitched, shrieking as Voldemort increased the curse. He wanted the pain to end desperately. The agony reached such a pitch, that Harry was reduced to begging. "Please…stop…." He croaked in between screams.

Voldemort smiled. "What was that, Harry?" He again increased the curse. Harry's screams were even louder. "Please! Please…stop…I'm begging…you…please…" Voldemort ripped a few more screams from Harry's throat, before he finally stopped the curse.

Harry curled up in a ball, shaking with the aftereffects of the torture. He couldn't find his voice. The only thought in his mind was to not allow that pain again. "And now?" Voldemort asked, his voice impatient and amused at the same time.

Harry felt the words come to his tongue, but he refused to release them. Remus, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Dumbledore…. He listed all the people he would let down if he revealed the Prophecy. This gave him a little bit of strength, and he managed to push himself into a standing position. He would _not_ lie at Voldemort's feet. He was bleeding heavily, his vision beginning to blur. One hand clasped his stomach, while the other one hung uselessly at his side. He stared into Voldemort's red eyes. He hated that color.

"So very stubborn…" Voldemort whispered, taking a step closer to the injured boy. Harry flinched. He didn't move as Voldemort came ever nearer. His eyes locked on the floor. The floor wasn't scary. The floor couldn't cast the Cruciatius cruse.

He felt the Dark Lord standing over him. Harry's breaths became more ragged as his scar stung. A thumb and forefinger forced his chin up, till he was looking into the Voldemort's face. "That kind of thing will only cause you more grief." Voldemort was slowly forcing him backward as he talked. Harry's exposed back felt the cold, smooth wall against his skin. "One can only handle so much pain, Harry…before they crack." The wooden tip of Voldemort's wand touched against Harry's chest. "Crucio!"

Harry wanted to collapse onto the ground, but Voldemort kept him standing. Again Harry tried not to scream. Voldemort was waiting for him to. Harry could tell from the predatory grin on his face. His head slammed against the wall, bringing stars to his eyes. His whole body was shaking as the fire ripped through his veins. But he didn't scream. He wouldn't scream.

But this changed when the wand was shoved deeper into his chest, right above his heart. He lost all control. His eyes rolled back into his head, and the tears didn't stop. More screaming. A loud, unwavering, blood chilling scream forced its way past his chapped and bleeding lips.

In his bed room three floors above, Draco Malfoy covered his head with a pillow, trying to block out the unearthly screams. He wondered, briefly, how he could have ever let his father bring Potter to the Dark Lord…how he could have ever helped…

Voldemort was saying something, but Harry couldn't hear. The pain was all that mattered. Why wouldn't it go away? Voldemort must have thought he was being ignored, because the wand went deeper, leaving bruises on his chest. The agony was impossible to bear. He clawed at Voldemort's arm for a few seconds, before he passed out in Voldemort's arms.

He wasn't out for long. He was forced back to reality by a spell that Voldemort shot at him. He woke, gasping for breath, still in the iron grip of the Dark Lord. "Interesting…" Voldemort muttered, and lifted his free hand towards Harry's face. His fingers stroked Harry's scar. The pain was so intense; Harry thought his head would explode. Again he struggled in Voldemort's grip, his nails digging into the pale white arms. Voldemort growled in anger, forcing his whole hand onto Harry's forehead. "Don't forget your place, Harry."

Voldemort finally let go, and Harry whimpered, shaking like a leaf. Voldemort was staring deep into his eyes, as if searching for something. "But it can't be…" He pulled Harry's face closer, looking him up and down. He smiled. "But it is. You're my seventh horcrux, aren't you, Harry?"

Harry had absolutely no idea what Voldemort was talking about. Noticing Harry's confused expression; Voldemort's smile grew even wider. "Dumbledore didn't tell you, did he?" Voldemort laughed. "This changes things, Harry. I can't kill my own little horcrux. No, I'll make sure you stay nice and alive…" He twisted Harry's arms behind his back and forced him to walk to the middle of the room. It was slow going; each step an agonizing experience for Harry. Voldemort gripped his arm tightly, twisting it and forcing Harry to his knees. "My little horcrux…" he said in a soothing voice. "I will miss torturing you. But Dumbledore will never hurt you. Even if it would hurt me." Another laugh, cold and cruel. "Say hello to the old fool for me, won't you?" Harry froze. What did that mean? Was he going back to Hogwarts? Had it started already? His thoughts were cut off as the knife sliced into his shoulder. He screamed again, falling forward till his face hit the floor. There was a bright glowing, and Harry felt a jerk behind his navel, pulling him to his unknown destination…

At Hogwarts, Dumbledore stood up from his chair, preparing to give the start of term feast speech. He glanced at the Gryffindor table, noticing like everybody in the hall, the absence of a certain Harry Potter. The boy had gone missing just two days ago. Dumbledore had been unable to find any clues to where Harry had gone. It was as if he had simply vanished. Though the headmaster knew who was responsible. Voldemort probably had Harry in his clutches right now. Dumbledore could only hope that Harry was still alive.

He cleared his throat, bringing the hall to a silence. "I hope you are all enjoying yourselves. Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts. I would just like to inform you of some new rules that have been put in place this year. First off…" But he was cut off when a blinding flash of light lit up all corners of the room. A body fell heavily onto the floor, a knife protruding from its back. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, but when it did, the tables closest to the body began screaming.

"Is that…?"

"No, it can't be…"

"Oh my God!"

"It's-it's Harry Potter!" At these words all the students craned their necks to get a better look. Gryffindor's ran over, surrounding their fallen comrade. Dumbledore rushed forward and got on his aching knees. He pulled the dagger out of the boy's back. He recognized the blade. It was the Dark Lord's. Dumbledore inspected the burn marks on Harry's back, and then hurriedly turned him over. There was no mistaking the boy-who-lived. His scar was a bright red against his forward. Watery, barely open green eyes stared up at the ceiling.

Ron and Hermione managed to finally force their way through the crowd, and they gasped at the sight of their friend. They both joined Dumbledore at the side of Harry. "Harry…Harry can you hear me?" Hermione asked, shaking Harry's limp form, tears springing to her eyes. Harry's eyes rolled briefly in her direction, before falling on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore took in Harry's cut and beaten body, shaking slightly. The boy had obviously been under the Cruciatius curse, and who knew what else. He nearly jumped as Harry spoke, the voice that came out raspy due to screaming. "Dumbledore… what's a horcrux?" He whispered. He had enough time to see the shocked look on Dumbledore's face, before the darkness that had been growing at the edge of his vision took him over, and he collapsed in the headmaster's arms, bleeding onto Dumbledore's robes…


	2. Chapter 2

**READ BELOW: Important to story**

**Since a lot of you asked, I have made another chapter to **_**Truth**_**. I'm not sure how much I like it, but it's something. I do have some ideas to turn this into a story, but it's not on my to do list. If you like this chapter and wish for it to continue, there are two things you should do to assure this. First, leave a review. And I mean a review. "good, please update" is not a review, and will not inspire me to write anymore. Reviews will be a big part of if this story is continued or not. Complaints are welcome to, as well and comments or suggestions. Second, vote in the poll for the story to be continued. I don't mean to be rude, but I will not continue a story no one cares for. Now here it is, chapter two! Yay!**

**This chapter is rated T for Torture and minior fondling**

He didn't open his eyes when he woke up. That would hurt too much. The darkness behind his eyelids was all he wanted to see. Not Voldemort, not Dumbledore, not Ron, not Hermione…no one. Just the darkness. The calming, soothing darkness. Oh why did he have to wake up? He was having the nicest dream…

He burrowed back into the soft covers and pillow, willing himself to fall back to sleep. In sleep he couldn't feel the pain spread throughout his body, from his head to his toes. He felt a presence beside him. For a moment he forgot where he was, and braced himself for the torture that was sure to come at the hands of Voldemort.

"Harry, I am so happy to see you awake. I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." Harry visibly relaxed. It was Dumbledore's voice. He must be at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin.

He forced his eyes open, and looked at the Headmaster's worried face. Even with his glasses his vision was a bit fuzzy. Dumbledore looked older than ever before. His face was downcast in concern. Harry gave a small laugh, which was kind of pitiful due to the fact that his throat was raw. "What's…wrong, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Nothing, Harry. Nothing's wrong. You've just been out of it for quite some time." His eyes scanned Harry for a minute, as if searching for something. "You're in the hospital wing. I must say you made a rather grand entrance."

Harry struggled to remember. He did vaguely recall being port keyed to Hogwarts…and asking Dumbledore something… "Professor?" He asked uncertainly.

"Yes, Harry?"

He continued on cautiously, not sure of the answer he would receive. "You never answered… my question…What's a horcrux?"

Dumbledore's face darkened. "Why do you ask?"

"Voldemort…he kept calling me… that…he said it was funny… that you hadn't told me…" He looked to the headmaster with pleading eyes. He just wanted to know. He hated being in the dark.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Now is not the time, Harry. You need to rest." He changed the subject rather obviously. "Your friends wish to see you. For the past three days they have been trying to break into the hospital wing to do this. Do you think you are well enough to be in their company?" Harry frowned at the fact that Dumbledore still refused to answer his questions but otherwise nodded. As long as he didn't move, he wouldn't feel the pain. "Are you sure? You were very badly injured. I don't want you to hurt yourself further." Again Harry nodded. He expected the doors to fly open and for his friends to pour in but they didn't. And Dumbledore didn't leave his side.

The old man sighed. "I just wanted to make sure. Before your friends come in, I must ask you about what happened during your time with Voldemort."

Harry looked away. It wasn't something he really wanted to talk about. He had been hoping that Dumbledore would not ask. Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know it must be hard, Harry, but it is essential that I know what Voldemort has put you through."

Harry looked back into the old wizard's blue eyes. He gulped. He understood Dumbledore's logic, but that didn't make saying what happened any easier. "What do…you want to…know?"

"How did he hurt you?" Dumbledore questioned, wondering how far he could push.

Harry's eyes again left Dumbledore's. "He used a knife…"

Dumbledore waited for him to continue. Really, that was all Harry had wanted to say, even though he knew it wasn't a good answer. He sighed again. Dumbledore wouldn't rest till he said more. "He used this knife to… stab and cut me, because I wouldn't… tell him the prophecy. And he used… the Cruciatus curse on me…twice. When I passed out he woke me up… and touched my scar. He said… 'You're my seventh horcrux, aren't you…Harry?' I had no… idea what he was talking about…and I still don't, since you haven't …told me. He seemed… to think it funny that I didn't know." He glared at the ceiling. He knew Dumbledore still wasn't going to tell him what a bloody horcrux was. The Headmaster had already made that clear. It still irked him.

Dumbledore seemed to be thinking. "Did he say anything else?"

"Only…that I should…tell him the prophecy…which, I didn't do…just in case you were going to ask." Voldemort had said a lot more than that, but Harry wasn't really in the mood to repeat the words that were echoing in his mind.

Dumbledore looked a bit suspicious, but carried on regardless. "How did you get away?"

"He let…me go." Mumbled Harry, now realizing how odd this had been. Why had Voldemort just let him go? He had seemed intent on getting the prophecy, and then had suddenly port keyed Harry back to Hogwarts. It made no sense. All Voldemort had said was that Dumbledore wouldn't hurt him, even if it would hurt Voldemort. Harry didn't ask Dumbledore about that though. He knew he wouldn't get an answer.

"He let you go?" Dumbledore's brow crinkled in confusion. "Did he tell you why?"

"He said it was… because I was, to quote him… 'His little horcrux.'" Harry shivered as he remembered Voldemort whispering that nickname in his ear. He didn't like the way Voldemort had said it. There had been too much excitement, too much…promise of pain in the Dark Lord's voice. It told him that if Voldemort got his hands on him again…it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked, not meeting the Headmaster's eyes.

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry hesitated before speaking. He didn't want to sound scared. "Am…Am I safe…here…from him?"

Dumbledore took his hand and held it tightly. "Of course you are, Harry. Voldemort can't touch you here. Hogwarts is very well protected. Now, I was ordered by Madame Pompfrey to tell you to drink this. It should help with your throat." He took a small glass from the bedside table that was filled with a green liquid. Dumbledore gently lifted up Harry's head so he could pour the potion down his throat. The potion burned his insides for a few seconds, but when it stopped, Harry's throat didn't feel so raw anymore.

"Thanks." He laid his head back down and got comfortable. He had a feeling he would be there a while.

"If you can handle it, I will let your friends come in. They should be able to hear about…" Before Dumbledore could finish his sentence, Harry grabbed his head in his hands and shut his eyes tight. His scar was killing him. "Harry, is it your scar? Is he…" Dumbledore suddenly stopped talking. Harry pried open his eyes and saw Dumbledore had tried to reach out for Harry, but his hand had stopped in midair. Dumbledore was frozen in place, the worried expression plastered on his face.

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked, hoping the Headmaster would respond. He didn't. Harry tried again. "Dumbledore?" Still, Dumbledore remained frozen where he was. His blue eyes didn't even move. Harry became scared. What was going on? He glanced around the room and pulled the covers closer to him, his eyes watering from the pain in his scar. Was Voldemort close by? But that was impossible. He was in Hogwarts. Voldemort couldn't get in Hogwarts…right?

The door to the nurse's office swung open. Harry sighed in relief. Madame Pompfrey would straighten this whole thing out. She could find out what was wrong with Dumbledore.

But it wasn't Madame Pompfrey who came through the door. Instead it was Voldemort, his blood red eyes gleaming with malice, pushing a metal gurney, looking very much like a creepy doctor from a horror movie. Harry's eyes went wide in fear. Dumbledore had lied. He wasn't safe.

Harry tried to get up and get away, but he couldn't move. He was too weak from his injuries and the potion that had healed his throat was making him a bit drowsy. Voldemort chuckled evilly and continued to come closer, the gurney wheels squeaking eerily the whole way, until he was at the end of Harry's bed. He released his grip on the gurney and came around the side of the bed, crouching down to Harry's level. He took his long, spidery fingers and ran them through Harry's hair, smirking as Harry gasped in pain. "Did you miss me, Harry?" Voldemort brushed his fingers against Harry's scar.

Harry attempted to glare at Voldemort through the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. "Why are you here?" Harry hissed, trying to get away from Voldemort's fingers.

"I wanted to pay my little horcrux a visit. It's been three days since I've tortured you." Voldemort traced the cuts that crisscrossed over Harry's chest and stomach. Harry shivered. "I miss hearing you scream. I am so close to finding a way that will keep you alive forever so I can torture you for all of eternity. Unfortunately for now, it is still out of reach."

Harry lifted up a shaking hand and tried to push Voldemort away. "So you have no good reason for coming here. Leave."

Voldemort caught Harry's wrist in his hand. "But I cannot do that, Harry. I will not leave without causing you pain. We can't have you regaining your strength now, can we?" Voldemort slipped a hand under Harry and lifted him up. Harry began struggling in Voldemort's arms. This didn't faze the Dark Lord. He carried Harry over to the metal gurney and gently laid him down. Harry tried to get off, but Voldemort pinned him down with his hands. "I have all the time in the world, Harry. If you struggle I will just make this torture go on longer."

"Why can't you leave me alone?" Harry whispered, his eyes full of tears for he knew the pain that would come.

Voldemort grinned, and leaned in close to Harry. Harry saw no mercy in Voldemort's eyes. Voldemort placed his hands on the cold metal Harry lay on. "I'm too obsessed, Harry." He hissed. The metal under Harry began heating up. Harry began squirming as the metal got hotter and hotter. He tried to arch his back because the heat was beginning to burn his skin, but Voldemort held him down and pressed him harder against the metal. It felt like Harry's back was on fire. Tears poured down his face. He tried to claw at Voldemort and get him to stop. Voldemort just shoved his arms back into the now melting liquid causing them to be stuck there. The heat became so horrible that Harry screamed. The metal was scorching his skin. The smell of burning flesh was in the air. Voldemort pushed him deeper in the table, which was almost completely liquid. Harry's pants caught fire and burned at his legs.

Voldemort removed his hands from Harry's chest and instead dipped them in the bubbling liquid. He held the liquid metal in his hands like it was nothing. He laid the metal across Harry's chest, creating a type of bond that held Harry down. The screaming turned to shrieking, for now Harry's whole body was being burned mercilessly. Voldemort brushed away the remainder of Harry's pants so he could wrap the metal around Harry's legs as well. Harry was trapped in front of Voldemort, naked and screaming, with Voldemort smiling down at him, loving how Harry was so very humiliated and weak.

Harry's eyes were rolling into the back of his head. The heat was unbearable. Red burns covered his skin. "Stop…please, please…stop…please…"Harry begged. The metal became even hotter.

Voldemort bent down to whisper in Harry's ear. "Say, 'Please, Master, have mercy on me.' Then I will stop, Harry. Call me Master and the pain will end."

Harry didn't want to. He didn't want to stoop that low. He had already begged without being told to. But calling Voldemort his master was too far…too much. Except he couldn't stand this pain. His skin was probably falling off of him by now. He wanted it to stop so badly. He opened his mouth and said the words that would make this agony stop. "Please…Master, have mercy…on me."

The hands were lifted off the table. The table cooled down, now half melted. The metal became cold and it felt good against Harry's burning back. Blood was dripping off of the table, coming from the splits in Harry's skin caused by the intense heat. His breathing was shallow because every time his stomach rose it flooded pain throughout his whole body. But at least the table was cool and no longer burning his skin. The air was cold and it felt nice. That was when Harry realized he was naked. He flushed red and tried to cover his privates, however his hands were still trapped in the metal that had cooled and hardened. Voldemort laughed, noticing Harry's red face. "My little horcrux in all his glory." Voldemort's hand moved a little too close to Harry's genitals for Harry's liking. Voldemort grinned, showing his teeth. "We'll get to that later, Harry, don't worry. Right now I have to leave a little message for your precious Dumbledore."

Voldemort reached into his pocket and pulled out a new and longer knife. Harry's eyes went wide. Voldemort was going to cut him again. Struggling seemed like a good idea at the moment. He tried, but it hurt too much and he eventually gave up. If he moved even an inch of some part of his body, it lit up in pain. Voldemort placed the knife on the left side of Harry stomach. The blade slowly slid in, making Harry moan loudly. He wriggled in pain, wanting to get away. Voldemort forced the blade in deeper. "Stop moving, Harry. The pain will be over soon." The knife was dragged through his skin, up and down, side to side, craving letters. Soon Harry was screaming again. Voldemort had to make every letter deep and noticeable. Harry cried as he realized what Voldemort was writing would scar and forever be etched into his skin.

With one more painful cut Voldemort pulled out the knife and observed his work. "Beautiful," Voldemort said, his eyes roving over Harry's body. "Just beautiful." He wiped the knife on Harry's legs, the only part of the boy that wasn't covered in blood, and then returned it to his pocket.

Harry hated Voldemort looking at him as if he was an object. He wished he could at least cover up. "Wha…what…did…?" Harry stopped. His throat hurt again.

"Yes, Harry?" Voldemort wiped at the blood that covered the words that he had carved so they could be seen clearly to anyone who looked at Harry's stomach.

"What…did you…write?" He glanced down at his stomach but could only see blood.

Voldemort traced the letters with his fingers, smirking. "I just let everyone know that you are my little horcrux, Harry, and that you belong to me."

Harry frowned. "I do…not…belong to you."

"What was that, Harry?" Voldemort had moved his fingers to Harry's privates. He grabbed Harry's cock in his hand and squeezed. Harry moaned, uncomfortable. He wriggled under Voldemort's hand. "I asked you a question." The hand tightened. It hurt so much.

Harry closed his eyes against the pain. "I'm…I'm sorry…" The hand released his cock.

"There will be plenty more of that when you return back to Headquarters, Harry. But now I must leave. I will come back soon to collect you. Then we can continue." Voldemort back away slowly, grinning. He opened the doors to the hospital wings behind him, and Harry could see more frozen people behind the Dark Lord. "See you soon, little horcrux." Then he shut the doors. Seconds after that, Dumbledore became unfrozen. "…trying to get in your mind?" Dumbledore resumed where he left off, still reaching for Harry who was no longer on the bed. Dumbledore paused, confused and worried. "Harry?"

"Dumbledore…" Harry croaked. Dumbledore spun around and he nearly fell over in shock. He regained himself and hesitantly approached.

"Harry, what happened? I was just talking to you…" When he got close enough, he saw the word etched in Harry's skin. The old man's eyes went wide as saucers. For carved into Harry, was one word.

"Horcrux…" Dumbledore mumbled. He could only stare.

"Vol-Voldemort came…he did this." Dumbledore took out his wand. "Please…help me…it hurts."

Dumbledore took in the metal that was wrapped around the boy's chest and legs, the burns that were on every inch of his body, and the fact that he was naked. Dumbledore waved his wand and the metal unwrapped itself from around Harry. Harry hurriedly covered his privates, crying. Dumbledore pulled the blankets off the bed and wrapped them snuggly around Harry. Harry flinched as Dumbledore accidently hit his burns. "What did he do, Harry?"

Harry just shook his head. He felt so scared and violated. Voldemort was going to come for him again. He knew it. Voldemort was going to come and take him away so he could torture him and…Harry let out a sob. Dumbledore picked up the shaking boy in his arms and carried him over to the bed again. He laid him down and conjured up more covers and put these on top of Harry. He realized that the boy would need so time to relax, and he knew that Voldemort wouldn't come back right away, so with some comforting words to Harry, he left a potion on the bedside table for Harry to drink, and left to tell the boy's friends that they would not being seeing Harry today.

Harry curled up in a ball and shook. That torture session had hurt so much more than the first. He felt every burn that covered his body, and there was still the pain from the bleeding letters on the stomach. In truth he just wanted to disappear. He was shaken and scared. Voldemort's words repeated in his head over and over again. Harry glanced at the potion sitting on the table. All he wanted was for it to be a sleeping potion. If he slept he wouldn't have to think. In seconds Harry had drunk the potion. The drowsiness began setting in. He burrowed under the covers and hugged himself, the only person he could trust. Dumbledore had lied. He wasn't safe here. Voldemort could come back at any moment to take him away. The blankets acted as a kind of shielding from the outside world. Harry felt his eyes close as he began to drift off to sleep. In sleep no one could hurt him. In sleep he would be safe from the world…


	3. Chapter 3

"Harry…"

"Harry, wake up…"

"It's me, Harry. Come out from under the covers."

Harry opened his eyes blearily and was met with the sight of covers. His body was covered in sweat for the intense heat that came for sleeping under the blankets, but he didn't care. That didn't matter. What did matter were the burns that stung every time he moved. And that voice that kept talking to him and telling him to wake up. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't place the voice. This scared him. What if it was Voldemort come to torture him again?

Whoever it was placed a hand on the covers and Harry whimpered when they hit his burns. "Harry, please. I want to talk to you."

Harry shook his head under the blankets. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He hurt all over and just wanted to be alone. "Harry, it's me, Sirius. Come out from under the blankets."

Harry's eyes widened. "Sirius?" he rasped, daring to lift the covers a bit and peek out. He saw his godfather's concerned face and removed his head from under the covers.

"Yes, Harry. Everything's okay now. I'm here to take care of you." Harry nearly cried in happiness. Sirius was here. Sirius would make everything better. He tried to get up using his arms for support but he was too weak. His arms gave out and he landed hard back on the bed, tears springing to his eyes as the pain flared up again. "Just stay still, Harry." Sirius moved to remove the rest of the covers from Harry's body and Harry curled up in a ball, shaking his head violently. He was still naked.

Sirius's eyes looked sad. He reached behind him and grabbed a pair of boxers and pajama bottoms that were on the next bed. He held these out to Harry. "I suppose this is the reason Dumbledore gave me these." He placed these next to Harry on the bed. Harry grabbed the clothes and slowly put them on shakily under the covers. When he was done, he allowed Sirius to pull the covers off of him. Sirius's face went pale. His fingers shakily traced the letters on Harry's stomach.

"Did Voldemort write this?" He asked, his voice scared. Harry nodded. "Oh…" Sirius paused and Harry swore he saw tears in his godfather's eyes. Sirius cleared his throat. "Do you want to talk about it?" Harry shook his head hurriedly. He didn't want to even think about what had happened.

"Alright…" Sirius paused. "I was ordered by Madame Pomfrey to try and heal your injuries when you woke up. She wanted to, of course, but Dumbledore thought it would be better if I was here instead. Just lie still." He grabbed a container from the bedside table with shaking hands. When opened it revealed a smelly gel. Sirius put some of this on his fingers and spread it on Harry's burns. Harry flinched slightly. "Dumbledore told me how Voldemort managed to get into Hogwarts."

This perked Harry's interest. He had been wondering how Voldemort had managed to accomplish that. "How?" he managed to whisper.

Sirius sighed. "It was a flaw in our defenses. The wards prevent those who contain either dark magic or a dark mark from entering the grounds. They scan each person and check them for signs of this. There is one person who has an exception to this, though, because he is continually around Dark Magic. The wards are set to recognize him and let him enter." Sirius placed the container back on the table and grabbed a cloth which he soaked with a bright green potion. He gently turned Harry over and rubbed this on his back. "Voldemort possessed Severus Snape to get into Hogwarts. The wards saw Snape and let him through. Voldemort was able to enter and come to you. Dumbledore never thought this would happen since Snape isn't one to be easily possessed. But Voldemort somehow managed it. Snape wasn't too happy about it. The wards have been fixed, of course. It shouldn't be able to happen again."

Sirius fell silent after that. Even though Sirius said Voldemort wouldn't be able to come back, Harry knew that he would. If the Dark Lord had gotten in once had would get in again. Voldemort had promised. Harry knew that Voldemort was going to keep that promise. "He's…going to…come back." He croaked.

Sirius shook his head. "No, Harry. I'll be here. Voldemort won't be able to get anywhere near you. You'll be safe." He put down the rag. "Come here, Harry." Sirius helped Harry into his lap. Sirius laid Harry's head on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around his godson. The gels and potions had numbed Harry's burns and he happily hugged back. Sirius stroked Harry's hair gently. Harry felt water on his neck and realized Sirius was crying.

"What's…wrong…Sirius?" He tried to look up into his godfather's face but Sirius still held him there.

Sirius hugged Harry even tighter. "I know what I horcrux is, Harry." There was a sadness in his voice that Harry had never heard before from his godfather.

"What…is it?"

Sirius didn't say anything for a while and just held Harry close to him. "My brother Regulus came to me once, ranting and raving about them. He told me that Voldemort had some and that is what was keeping him alive. I asked what a horcrux was and he told me." A few more tears leaked from the older man's eyes. "Voldemort is trying to keep you alive because…because the truth, Harry, is that you…" But before Sirius could finish the doors to the hospital wing were opened and Dumbledore entered. He looked up as Dumbledore strode towards them, a bright smile on his face.

Sirius unwrapped his arms from around Harry and gently placed him back on the bed, angry at the interruption. "Harry! I see that Sirius has taken good care of you. Excellent. Your friends have been pestering me to no end about seeing you. Shall I let them in?"

Sort of reluctantly Harry nodded. He was annoyed at Dumbledore. He had been mere seconds away from learning about what Voldemort kept calling him. Although, he did want to see his friends. "Great!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "They should be arriving any minute. But first, Sirius, may I talk to you out in the hall?"

Sirius glanced at Harry then back at Dumbledore. "Only for a little bit. I don't want to leave Harry alone."

"He won't be alone. Alastor and Kingsley are just outside. Nobody will come in unless I let them in first. There are wards around the door. Let your mind rest, Sirius. Now come." He motioned for Sirius to follow. Grudgingly, Sirius stood and followed Dumbledore. "Oh, and Harry? A few of the students left you some get well presents. You did give them a bit of a fright." Then they left, closing the door behind them.

Harry looked to his other side and saw an enormous amount of Honeydukes candy. He dove into it immediately. Many students left notes, each saying they hoped he got better. Although still a few thought it was all a stunt pulled to get them to believe that the Dark Lord was back and that he was clearly an attention seeking prat. Harry ignored these and just dug in, eating all the candy he could. How long had it been since he had last eaten? Surely forever.

Harry was tearing into his third dark chocolate bar when he felt it. It was like a presence in his mind. Suddenly the chocolate dropped from his hand. "Enjoying yourself, little horcrux?" Harry looked wildly around, trying to see where Voldemort was. Voldemort chuckled. "I'm in your mind, Harry. Dumbledore can't protect you from your own mind."

Harry was now officially freaked. He opened his mouth to yell for help and found he couldn't make a sound. "They don't need to know, Harry. It's just you and me." Harry shuddered as he felt as if hands were touching him. "You're driving me crazy, little horcrux. I can't stop thinking about you. All I want to do is torture you and cut this soft, soft skin." There was a slight burning feeling and red hand marks appeared on his chest. "Your screams keep echoing in my head. I cannot wait till you are with me. I'm so close, Harry. Oh so close. You'll be mine, Harry. All mine." The invisible hands slid down his stomach to his hips. "I'll be free to torture you whenever I please. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Harry tried to get up out of bed but some force slammed him back down. "I wasn't done talking." Voldemort growled. A horrible pain attacked Harry's body and he let out a silent scream. "You're so beautiful when you scream, Harry." Voldemort purred while increasing the pain. Harry arched his back clear off the bed, his head thrown back in silent agony. An excruciating pain ran through Harry's body making tears pour down his face. The invisible hands roved over his chest and stomach, occasionally slipping down to his pant-clad legs. "So very beautiful…"

Yelling was heard from outside the hospital wing. His pain filled mind processed that it was Sirius who was yelling. Sirius could help him. He needed his godfather. "Sirius…" he moaned before his voice was again taken away. That one word made Voldemort increase the pain tenfold. "You're so very disobedient." Voldemort hissed. The hurt was so terrible Harry thought he would die. Suddenly, the pain stopped. "I would love to stay longer, Harry, but your friends are coming. You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?" A lightning bolt of pain shot through Harry's mind as a warning. He quickly shook his head. "Good boy." The invisible hands disappeared. "I believe the next time I visit you it will be to take you away. Dumbledore's been taking good care of my little horcrux I assume. He will keep you safe for me, hmmm?" The shouting became louder and Harry could make out what was being said. "He deserves to know, Dumbledore! How can you keep him in the dark like this?" Sirius yelled.

Voldemort chuckled. "You still don't know what a horcrux is, Harry, do you?" Harry said nothing. "I could tell you, Harry. All you have to do is call me Master. I so loved it the first time you did." Harry shook his head defiantly. No way would he ever call Voldemort Master again. Voldemort sighed. "You will call me Master soon enough, Harry. Willing or not." Footsteps were heard. "I must go. I will be back soon, little horcrux. I promise you."

The presence left as fast as it had come. Just in time too since that was the moment Sirius came in, mumbling obscenities under his breath. Harry quickly pulled the covers up to his chin to hide the handprints on his chest from his godfather. Sirius took his seat again by Harry's side. Harry was hoping Sirius would continue where he left off but Sirius only grumbled and shook his head, taking Harry's hand and squeezing it. Harry wanted to tell Sirius what happened so badly, but he knew Voldemort would punish him if he did. The Dark Lord didn't go back on his promises.

Not long after Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and Neville came in. They circled his bed and all began talking at the same time, asking him if he was alright and what had happened. There wasn't even a chance to talk. So he just laid back and tried to answer all their questions as best he could and, when he couldn't, allowed Sirius to do so. He was so tired but he smiled all the same when Ron humored him with a story of how Dean and Seamus had screwed up so bad on their potion that when Snape came over to check it the potion exploded and made Snape's hair turn purple. And he congratulated Fred and George on the pranks they had managed to pull.

"And Mum's so worried about you." Ginny said. "She couldn't make it but except her soon. She was on the verge of killing Dumbledore for sending you back to your aunt and uncle's. Actually, Dumbledore's getting a lot of heat from everybody, isn't he, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded. "Dumbledore needs to get his priorities straight." He mumbled.

"Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed. "You can't possibly think this was in anyway Dumbledore's fault?"

Sirius's eyes became angry. "If Dumbledore would have let Harry stay with me none of this would have happened! It doesn't matter if I'm on the run or not! I can take ten times better care of Harry then those stupid muggles!"

"Sirius…" Harry squeezed Sirius's hand, trying to calm his godfather. Sirius looked down at him and the anger faded. Sirius remained silent as Harry's friends continued talking. A whole three hours passed filled with laughing and talking. Harry shared his candy with his friends, and Fred and George brought their own weird concoctions everyone tried except for Harry who didn't think he could stomach them at the moment.

Dumbledore came in a bit later and told the students that they needed to get back to class. They all stood and said their goodbyes. Hermione paused before she left. "Are you sure you're alright, Harry?" She asked. No, Harry wasn't alright. He still hurt everywhere and mentally he wasn't doing so well either. But he didn't tell her this. He gave her a fake smile and said he was fine. Hermione gave him a small hug and left with the others.

Dumbledore shot Sirius a look. "Do you want to stay, Sirius?"

"Yes," Sirius growled. "Yes, I do." He scooted closer to Harry.

"You remember our conversation?"

"I won't tell him, okay?" Sirius yelled. "Happy now?" Dumbledore nodded and shut the doors, leaving them alone. Before Harry could protest, Sirius ripped the covers off Harry's chest to reveal the bright red hand marks on his chest. He sighed. "Where you planning to tell me about this, Harry?"

"How…how did you know?" He tried to cover the marks back up again because he hated looking at them but Sirius stopped him.

"I've had to hide enough injuries to know how it's done. Did Voldemort do this?" Sirius searched his eyes. Harry said nothing and looked away. "Harry, tell me what happened."

"I can't. He'll punish me if I do."

"Harry, look at me." Harry did. Sirius looked straight into his eyes. "While I am here no one will ever hurt you. I will protect you. Do you believe me, Harry?"

"Yes…" Harry whispered. "But how can you stop him from getting into my mind? That's how he did this." He pointed to his chest. "He can hurt me in my head."

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial. "Snape gave me this. He said it would prevent Voldemort from being able to enter your mind for a bit. It pains me to say it but I trust him on this one. Do you want it?"

Harry was going to nod that yes he did, but suddenly his whole body seized up. He was instantly doused in fear. It couldn't be Voldemort. Voldemort had already visited him today. But maybe Voldemort had found out that Sirius knew. Maybe he was going to keep his promise.

Sirius must have seen the fear in his eyes. "Harry, what's wrong?" He asked, leaning forward worriedly.

And then the pain hit him. A horribly evil creature was wrapping around him, squeezing the life out of him and spreading pain throughout his very being. Fire was burning him and knifes were stabbing him. But he didn't scream. This was because he was no longer in control of his body. Voldemort was. When he was forced to look up at Sirius his eyes were blood red and he had an evil smirk on his face. He sat up and chuckled. Sirius's eyes went wide and he got out of his seat, dropping Harry's hand. "Don't you want to hug your godson, Black? Don't you want to protect him from me?"

Harry tried to fight Voldemort, but when he did the pain only increased. Tears fell from his eyes. Voldemort lifted his hand and touched the tears. He smiled. "Am I causing you pain, Harry?" He seemed delighted at the very idea of it.

Sirius finally regained himself and growled. "Get out of Harry. You've already hurt him once today."

"But Harry told you about our little encounter earlier today. I told him not to. I told him he would be punished. I don't think you could even imagine the pain he is in right now. It's amazing." The creature wrapped even tighter around Harry and he found he couldn't breathe.

"Stop it now!" Sirius yelled, an angry fire filling his eyes.

Voldemort made Harry shake his head from side to side. "No, Black. I will not stop. Harry is all mine and I will do to him as I please." He used a hand to touch Harry's face. "I will never stop torturing Harry. His pain is much too addictive."

This made Sirius snap. "Leave my godson the hell alone!" Sirius demanded, and then his hand shot out and grabbed Harry's face. Voldemort hissed angrily and grabbed Sirius's arm, trying to push it away. But Sirius was stronger than Harry and he forced his mouth open, pulled the cork out of the vial with his teeth, and poured it down Harry's throat.

Harry instantly felt release from the terrible pain. Voldemort had disappeared. Harry fell down against the bed, shaking and unable to stop. Voldemort had possessed him. Actually possessed him. He hadn't ever really considered the idea. Oh god it had hurt. The pain had been unbearable.

Sirius leaned forward hesitantly. "Is he gone, Harry?" Harry nodded shakily.

Sirius got up and went around to the other side of the bed. He sat down and put his legs up on the bed. Harry crawled over to him and placed his head on Sirius's lap, a few tears leaking from his eyes. Sirius rubbed Harry's back gently. "He won't hurt you again, Harry." Sirius took the covers and placed them on Harry. Harry curled upon himself and hugged Sirius's legs.

He wanted to be strong and show Sirius that he was brave, that he could take all the pain and suck it up. But the reality was that he couldn't take all the pain. The reality was that he couldn't keep Voldemort out of his mind, and he wasn't strong. He was weak and pitiful. He relied on his godfather to protect him. "I'm so stupid…" he muttered, tears falling freely down his face.

"No, Harry." Sirius wiped the tears away. "I've seen braver men than you crack under less. I'm proud of you, Harry. You are still alive, still going. I know I wouldn't have been able to."

These words comforted Harry. He knew he would be fine as long as Sirius wasn't disappointed in him everything would be okay. As long as Sirius was proud of him nothing else mattered. "You want to hear a story, Harry?" This sort of surprised Harry, but he nodded. A story would be nice. "It's a story about how I used to be as brave as you. And what I did can barely add up to what you have done."

"Tell me…" Harry had always wanted to know about Sirius's childhood.

Sirius smiled. "Alright, Harry, alright. I suppose its starts with a harmless game of hide-and-seek."

Harry smiled as well and snuggled in for a good story. He felt so very safe with Sirius. Voldemort couldn't hurt him now. Not while he was here. Not while he was with his godfather. And definitely not when he was about to hear an exciting story. Even Voldemort couldn't be as evil as to ruin this happy, wonderful moment…

**Another chapter! Yay! I finally got it done. Sorry if it's taking a while for updates. First, I have to try and update five stories. Second, I have a whole boatload of homework. Anyway, please review. And I'm not going to say any names, but one person's review went something like this, "Nice." If that is all you have to say, don't review. That does not help me in the slightest. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Not as much torture as the pervious two but the next chapter will have more. Also, chapter 10 in my story Snakelike Evil will have some torture in it. I know, I know, I horribly evil. Whatever:) Again, review!**


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